High Heel Wearing Comfort Hacks

Happy Holiday Season My Wonderful Sparklers!

How is your holiday season so far?  Mine has been very busy!  This post is inspired by the fact that over this last weekend,  I had to use all of these products (my poor little feet).

During the holidays there are many parties and occasions to wear your favorite shoes.  Yet as much as you might love your sky-high heels, sometimes they just don't love you back.  This is why I have a few tricks up my sleeve for making the fancy-shoe-wearing-season as pain free as possible.  Overall, you will find that I talk a lot about the quality of adhesive, since it really matters when it comes to these types of sticky shoe inserts.  I'll try and save you time and money wasted on the cheaper (or too expensive) versions.

"Save My Feet Blister Elixir" by Peaches and Boo Boo*- $20USD/4 oz

I did an extensive review of this product here.  I do want to somewhat revise my review about this product.  Most importantly to note that it really works well but with shoes that are already broken it.  There are some cases where this will help, but not completely prevent blistering (think brand-new ballet flats--which seem to be worse than heels sometimes for blistering).

Aldo's "Enrorich" Padding- Aprox. $8.99USD/1 pair.

These are by far my favorite gel pads for inside high-heeled shoes.  The extra padding right on the ball of your foot and at the heel really help extend how long I can wear my shoes.  They are also especially thin and fit in just about any heel without adding too much bulk (which is a huge problem with other competing products).  They also are low profile and can be worn without being seen on the strappiest of shoes.  These also really stay put in the shoe despite lots of friction.  They are also not too sticky.  This means that you can easily remove them to re-position them.  I don't know how many times these have saved a pair of shoes from being impossible to walk in to tolerable.  I even have them in heeled boots that went from "only walk from the car to the bar and back" shoes to "walk around the mall for an hour or longer shoes".  

Dr. Scholl's "DreamWalk Sole Expressions-Heel Liners"- Aprox $6.99USD/3 pairs.

This is by far my favorite heel insert brand and type.  Many of the thick gel ones are too tick and do not adhere properly to certain types of materials.  These are the perfect thickness and also seem to flawlessly stick to any shoe material I have tried.  Mini-Tip: Let the liner sit on your shoe for at least 15 minutes before using it.  This will really allow it to form a bond before you start adding friction to the equation.  

Band-Aid "Advanced Healing Blister" Bandages- Aprox $7.99/6 cushions

A little pricey for 6 bandages? Yes.  But when the back of your heel is oozing, bleeding, red, and raw from crazy blisters (yeah, ewwww right?!)  you will find these 100% worth it.  Why are these any better than a good ol' extra large bargain brand adhesive bandage you ask?  Well to start off with, it is really really good at sticking.  Aside from that, it is a weird stretchy material that you pull to exactly fit your blister.  The unique stretch also means that it will stay in place, even with your most ouchy shoes and high friction situations.  It moves and molds to your foot, meaning it doesn't simply get rubbed off.  Lastly (and most importantly), it really soothes and stops the pain of the blister.  Seriously guys, give the bandage about 30 minutes and you will forget that your heels looked like war zone victim and you were about to hack off your own foot to end the suffering just a few minutes ago.  As far as faster healing times, I assume this is mostly because you are not re-injuring your foot.  I was very skeptical of the claim that this bandage was better for blisters at most.  But Band-Aid has proven me wrong.  I have 2 of these in my purse at all times for blister emergencies.

Thank you so much Sparklers for hanging out with me this holiday season.  May your season be bright, full of love & cheer, and may your feet be as comfy as possible! 

And As Always,

Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions. Also, like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit. 

2014 Charity of The Year: The Food Trust

Seasons Greetings Shine & Sparklers!

It is the holiday season. People are rushing around frantically acquiring gifts for their loved ones. They are primping and preening in front of mirrors for holiday parties, shopping trips, and other festivities. While lots of beauty bloggers are posting about the perfect holiday look and the perfect gift for him/her/mom/dad/puppy/goldfish, I want to take this time to draw some attention to those less fortunate.

I think part of being a beautiful person is appreciating what you have. The holidays in the Western world seem to emphasize consumerism. Thus, I started the December tradition of posting The Shine and Sparkle Report: Charity of The Year. 

Like all my images, I will gladly take them down if asked/someone throws a hissy fit.  That being said, common! It's for charity dude/dudette!

I would now like to introduce to you, to THE FOOD TRUST!

So, why The Food Trust?  While I have highlighted international oriented charities such as Project Peanut Butter and Free Rice!, I wanted to turn this year's focus on issues in my home country of the United States.  I was motivated this year by the idea that there are many people who simply do not have access to healthy foods which are the building blocks of not only beauty, but overall health and well-being.  Many families struggle to put food on the table and often the foods that are affordable/available are not the quality foods needed to fuel bodies.  Children especially need healthy foods to ensure they can concentrate and do well in school.  The following information was taken from The Food Trust Website.

Mission
The Food Trust's mission is to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food and information to make healthy decisions. Working with neighborhoods, schools, grocers, farmers and policymakers, we've developed a comprehensive approach to improved food access that combines nutrition education and greater availability of affordable, healthy food.

Programs and Activities
For more than 20 years, The Food Trust has works with neighborhoods, schools, grocers, farmers and policymakers in Philadelphia and across the country to change how we all think about healthy food and to increase its availability.The Food Trust's comprehensive approach includes improving food environments and teaching nutrition education in schools, working with corner store owners to increase healthy offerings and helping customers make healthier choices, managing farmers' markets in communities that lack access to affordable produce and encouraging other fresh food retail development in underserved communities.

Nationally, almost one out of every six children between ages 2 and 19 is obese.  The number of people suffering from other diet-related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, is also high.  Thousands of communities, both urban and rural, all across the country that lack access to healthy, affordable food. And nearly 30 million Americans, the United States Department of Agriculture reports, live more than a mile from the nearest grocery store.

Research has shown that you are where you eat, that the neighborhood you live in has a profound impact on the food choices you make. In partnership with PolicyLink, The Food Trust published Access to Healthy Food and Why It Matters: A Review of the Research, a new report that provides an up-to-date review of the research. Three years after The Grocery Gap: Who Has Access to Healthy Food and Why It Matters, the large volume of new research demonstrates that improving healthy food access in low-income communities and communities of color continues to be an urgent need.

Research also demonstrates the economy of lower-income communities is positively influenced by improved food access. For example, the development or presence of a grocery store can create jobs, stimulate investment in the neighborhood and anchor complementary retail.

Support The Food Trust

There a lots of ways to GET INVOLVED WITH THE FOOD TRUST.  This can be as simple as a monetary donation to volunteering/interning/working for The Food Trust. 


This holiday season, while you are enjoying family, friends, and partying it up, perhaps take a minutes to consider the less fortunate.  While I love everything that shines and sparkles, the most important place for you to do so is on the inside.  

Happy holidays and as always,

Shine & Sparkle

SheaMoisture: Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave-In Conditioner Review (Asian Hair Perspective)

Howdy Shine and Sparkle Report Readers,

Sorry for the late post Sparklers! I obviously love SheaMoisture's brand even though I don't have "ethnic" hair (but I have an ethnicity so that term deeply bothers me...getting off my soapbox now) but dear lord they have the longest product titles!  I mean seriously, I reviewed SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque and most recently I gave my opinion on the Superfruit Complex 10-In 1 Renewal System Hair Masque.  If those aren't long enough, then how about the "Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave-In Conditioner"?!  Long enough for you!  That's right, I think it is the longest product title in Shine and Sparkle report history. *applause for irrelevant benchmarks*.

Ok, I admit I was a bit scared to try this. There are a lot of potentially heavy oils that might weigh down my hair.  But it was buy 1 SheaMoisture product get one 1/2 off at Ulta, so I went for it with blind faith on one of my favorite brands.  And retailing at $10.99USD for 16oz this is a steal.  16oz is so much leave-in conditioner for me.  Maybe if you have even drier, thicker, more damaged hair than I do you will go through more of it.  But this amount is enough for over a year for me.

SheaMoisture Claims: 
A reparative leave-in conditioner that softens and detangles hair. Nourishes, moisturizes and supports elasticity so hair resists breakage when detangling. Conditioners provide a protective layer that improves the appearance of split ends. Peppermint oil stimulates the scalp for an invigorating experience.

Pretty much free of the big bad stuff.  It has no: No sulfates. No parabens. No phthalates. No paraffin. No gluten. No propylene glycol. No mineral oil. No synthetic fragrance. No PABA. No synthetic color. No DEA. No animal testing.

This Conditioner Features:

• Organic Shea Butter - Deeply moisturizes while conditioning hair and scalp.
• Jamaican Black Castor Oil - Loaded with repartive (Note: SheaMoisture made up this word, not me) omegas that promote healthy hair growth.
• Peppermint -Stimulates the scalp for an invigorating experience

How SheaMoisture Says To Use It:
Apply to clean, towel-dried hair. Work a generous amount of product into hair from root to ends. Com through for even distribution. Do not rinse. Apply more to longer hair at the end of problem areas. Can also be used as a rinse-out conditioner.

How Ms. Sparkles Uses It:
In the third person.  Gawd I'm funny right? Anyway, I haven't used it as a rinse-out conditioner because I'm totally stuck on the Superfruit Complex etc... deep masque.  But if you follow me on twitter, I promise to give you a yay or nay on it's use as a rinse out conditioner.  As far as my usage, I find that "generous amount" should really mean "not very much".  I tap 4 fingers on the surface of pot.  I rub what sticks to my fingers between my two hands and apply it to damp hair.  I concentrate on my ends and then whatever is left I apply to my roots.  I do this before combing out my hair with a wide-toothed comb to take advantage of the detangling effects.  I find that this does not leave my hair greasy, but really nice and moisturized.  If I repeat this process to add a bit more product, it gives me some nice texture and helps to define the layers in my hair cut.  Since I don't wash my hair every day, I find that the ends can feel a bit dry on day 2 and 3.  A 2 finger tap into the pot gives me plenty of product to rehydrate my dry ends between washes (also without being greasy).  Because this is so healthy for your hair, I don't notice any build up--just more good hair days.

• Deep Frying Hair Warning:  Do not use heat after using products with a lot of pure oils and no silicone!  In my silicone 101 post, I talk more in detail about how silicones help protect your hair from heat.  Without using silicones, you just have a lot of oil in your hair.  You apply a straightener/curing wand/hot blowdryer and you are essentially cooking/frying your hair in oil...eek!  You are being super nice to your hair with great oils, lay off the hotools.  If you must, make sure to apply a silicone based heat protectant before using heat.   

As usual,

Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Face Cleansing Quick Tip

Happy Fall Devoted Shine and Sparklers!

Today I have a really quick tip about washing your face.  I'm sure you never really thought about it, but here are my top tips for getting the best results from your facial cleanser!

What? Stock image?  Well...uh...it's a quick tip!  I was lazy!  So sue me.  Actually, please don't. This image is property of the person who created it.  Like all my images, I will gladly take it down if contacted/someone throws a hissy fit.  

1. Wash your face at the end of your shower.  As you shower you have body soaps, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, and all sorts of other products that might have ingredients you don't want sitting on your face.  Waiting until the end of your shower to wash your face ensures that you are left with the cleanest skin possible at the end of your shower.
2. Massage the cleanser into your face for 30 seconds to 1 minute in small circular motions.  This seems like a long time, but to get the full benefits of your cleanser, wash your face for a bit longer than you think.  This gives the cleanser time to break down oils, tighten pores, exfoliating ingredients to sluff away dead skin cells, and all the goodness of your cleanser to work.  
3. Dry your face with a clean towel. I actually have a number of small towels I reserve just for my face.  If you don't care about the environment, you can also use a paper towel.  The skin on your face tends to be more sensitive to bacteria (which can cause breakouts too!)  Using a clean towel to dry your face helps reduce bacteria and leave you with the best complexion possible.
4. Wash your face 2 times a day.  Washing more than 2 times will dry it out.  It's good to get all the environmental particles, oil and makeup off of your face at night.  It's good to get all the oil and bacteria from your pillows off your face in the morning.  Hooray.

I know this was a super super quick tip.  But isn't that the point?

As Always,

Shine & Sparkle!